236 KASHGAR TO THE KARAART PAMIR. 



proceeded up a water -course near where the 

 herd had crossed, and looked cautiously over. 

 To my horror not a vestige of them was to be 

 seen ! Something must have scared them, for 

 I followed their tracks up the valley, crossing 

 spur after spur, expecting every moment to see 

 them ; but at last had to give it up, the tracks 

 showing they had gone over the main divide 

 between this and the next valley. This was 

 too far to venture without a guide, especially 

 as the day was waning. 



When I got back to where the old shikari 

 was lying asleep, he was nowhere to be seen : 

 there was nothing for it but to sling my rifle on 

 my back and tramp home alone, and getting on to 

 my tracks, I followed them down to camp, where 

 I expected to find him in before me. Nothing, 

 however, was heard of him either that night or 

 next morning, and I began to get alarmed ; but 

 a Kirghiz, who lived in a yurt near, thought it 

 was most probable he had gone on to where 

 his brother dwelt in the next valley. To my 

 great relief, I met him on the road. He said 

 he had lost me the day before, though he had 

 hunted about everywhere until dark : finally 

 coming across a yurt> he spent the night there. 



